


Actions Speak Louder

by DeadRedHead



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humor, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 09:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19196326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadRedHead/pseuds/DeadRedHead
Summary: Karolina adored her girlfriend, which led her to give Nico either the best or the worst gift ever: a thesaurus.





	Actions Speak Louder

**Author's Note:**

> Is this a dumb concept? Yes. Why did I write it? Because it’s cute.
> 
> It’s been a long time since I’ve connected with characters like I have these two, so I had to write about them. Once I got this idea, I couldn’t shake it.
> 
> This is not the first fic I’ve written, but it is the first I have ever posted online, so comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Karolina was on her way back to the hostel from a quick supply run. As she navigated the alleyways, she found an entrance to a small bookstore, tucked away from the street. She paused and considered going inside. Without school to keep her time and her mind occupied, she had been rather bored. She loved her friends and enjoyed spending time with them, but sometimes she just needed some time alone. She could continue her study of the Book of Gibborim, but she felt like she needed a break. She thought it would be nice to have a few books to read, so she decided to have a look around.

She pushed on the glass door and heard a bell chime above her head. It startled her, and her bags of supplies hit the doorframe loudly. Attempting a swift recovery, she gave a polite smile to the employee behind the counter, trying not to seem suspicious or draw any more attention to herself. The shop’s atmosphere was cozy, and she was thankful for the low lighting. She started moving between the stacks, looking for something that interested her.

Horror? No. Her life was already scary enough. Romance? Too straight. She reached the young adult section and scanned the spines. While each title sounded exactly like the one before, she did find one that piqued her interest: _Looking for Alaska_. She had always liked John Green, so she decided to buy it.

As she continued her search, she made her way toward the rear of the shop. Against the far wall, she found a tall stack of books on the floor. There was a sticky note attached to the top one, on which “Reference” had been hastily written. The mountain of books came up almost to her waist and was mostly composed of encyclopedias and dictionaries, with a couple of style manuals thrown in. At the very bottom of the stack, she spied a thesaurus. Its spine was cracked, its edges were frayed, and it appeared to have some water damage. Most of the other books were in a similar state, and all had collected a fair amount of dust. As she felt a slight pang of sadness for these forgotten texts, she had an idea.

She put her bags on the ground next to her as she kneeled in front of the stack. She tried to pull the thesaurus out, but it wouldn’t budge. She pulled a little harder, but no luck. She changed her footing and improved her grip on the thesaurus. With a mighty heave, she wrenched the book from the pile. The force of it sent her falling backward, and she found herself flat on her back as the stack toppled over, sending books skidding across the floor and drawing the attention of a few customers. So much for discreet.

She stood and hurriedly gathered the texts, trying to put them back in order. Thoroughly embarrassed, she collected her prize, the novel, and her supplies and made for the register, her face beet red. As she approached the counter, she had another idea and grabbed a notebook and a pack of pens. The employee rang her up and put the items in a bag. She exited the shop feeling victorious, though still slightly humiliated.

* * *

Karolina returned to the hostel and found Nico in the dining room, chatting with Gert. Both girls were reclined in the dining chairs, each with their feet propped on the seats next to them. Nico smiled at Karolina, and Karolina greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Karolina laid the bag on the table and sat in an empty chair next to Nico. 

“What’s in the bag?” asked Nico.

“Some books,” answered Karolina. “I stopped at a bookstore while I was out.”

“Books?” Gert smirked. “I’ve only ever seen you read that Gib book.”

Karolina thought for a moment, debating whether to engage Gert’s barb. “I thought I needed something a little less . . . pious,” Karolina replied somewhat ruefully. Gert didn’t have a comeback this time, so she just nodded and kept quiet. Karolina stared at the table and unconsciously rubbed her wrist where her bracelet used to be.

“So what did you get?” Nico asked as she sat up and reached for the bag, steering the conversation away from the sensitive subject, for which Karolina was grateful.

“Something for me and something for you,” beamed Karolina. Nico, suddenly looking quite excited, opened the bag and pulled out the book Karolina had bought for herself.

“ _Looking for Alaska_? Really?” Nico asked incredulously. “Isn’t this the guy who wrote _The Fault in Our Stars_?”

“Not that one,” Karolina laughed, rolling her eyes and taking the book from her. She heard Gert snort. 

Nico reached back into the bag and took out the tattered thesaurus. She looked even more confused.

“It’s for your staff,” Karolina explained. Nico looked at her questioningly, so she continued. “Since you can’t cast the same spell twice, I thought it might help to know how to say the same thing a different way. I also got a notebook and some pens so you can take notes.”

Nico didn’t say anything, and fear gripped Karolina as she suddenly realized that a thesaurus was undoubtedly the worst gift ever. She wrung her hands together nervously and looked at the book in Nico’s lap. She needed to salvage this situation.

“Wait,” Karolina blurted, reaching out to reclaim the book. “Never mind. It’s stupid. You don’t have to use it. I can take it back. Or throw it out.” 

Nico ran her hand across the book’s worn cover. Karolina thought she heard Gert excuse herself, but she had become so overcome with dread that she couldn’t spare a thought for anything besides Nico. Karolina prayed she would say something soon.

Karolina looked to Nico’s face and saw moisture gathering in her eyes. She feared her gift was so bad that it actually made Nico cry.

Finally, Nico spoke, slowly, her voice quiet, “This . . . is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She looked up at Karolina, clearly trying very hard not to cry. 

Karolina had never been more relieved in her life, but she also felt sad for her. Nico was a remarkable young woman, and Karolina had always admired her resilience and courage. Nico deserved every kind and thoughtful gift in the world. 

Karolina composed herself and reached out to take Nico’s hand. “I just want you to be prepared for whatever comes next,” Karolina said.

Nico smiled and bowed her head, shaking it as she squeezed Karolina’s hand. “You are . . . wow,” she stuttered. “Instead of just insisting that you’ll protect me, like so many other people in my life, you’ve actually given me something I can use to protect myself. Thank you.” She lifted their joined hands and pressed her lips to the back of Karolina’s hand.

Fear again invaded Karolina’s mind, but this time, she was afraid her hand would catch fire from the warmth of Nico’s touch.

Nico kept her gaze on their hands as she lowered them. She bit her lip, and, after a beat, she looked into Karolina’s eyes and said, “I know I won’t need this book to tell you how I feel about you.” 

Nico, true to her word, expressed more affection with that look than with anything she could say. Karolina could feel it in her entire body. She forgot how to breathe, but she didn’t even want to, afraid of breaking the stillness and perfection of this moment.

Nico placed her hand on Karolina’s jaw, her thumb tenderly brushing the skin. Karolina leaned into her touch, no longer afraid of being scorched. Nico kissed her sweetly, and Karolina’s heart was set aflame. 

* * *

Later, Karolina found Nico hiding in an unused bedroom, reading Looking for Alaska with tear streaks down her face. 

**Author's Note:**

> Nico would love _Looking for Alaska_ and she would totally cry over it.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
